Talk is cheap for Hatters defender Wilkinson

Mike Simmonds

Hatters defender Luke Wilkinson is well aware that talk is cheap as his side look to arrest their disappointing slump in league form.

Luton’s 3-0 reverse at Newport County on Saturday made it back-to-back defeats for Town after going down 4-3 to Carlisle on Tuesday night.

“It’s all right standing here and saying sorry to the fans but we can’t keep doing it.”

Luke Wilkinson

All of the hosts’ strikes came in the second half, and Wilkinson understands that actions will speak louder than words when it comes to improving Hatters’ goals against column.

He said: “It’s massively disappointing as to get to half time at 0-0, they probably had more possession than us, but they didn’t really look like they were threatening us.

“We probably had the best of the chances, Greeny’s (Danny Green) had a shot and then second half, I don’t know what’s changed, but we’ve come out and conceded three goals.

“At the minute it’s not good enough, us at the back, and defensively as a team, we’ve got to be doing better.

“It’s all right standing here and saying sorry to the fans but we can’t keep doing it, we’ve got to go out on the pitch and deliver. We’ve got the squad to do it, but at the minute we’re not.”

The swiftness of the goals is a major concern for Wilkinson too as Luton have now shipped six in just 39 minutes of play.

He continued: “It seems we concede one goal at the minute and then we collapse.

“I don’t know what it is, stupid mistakes, as I was at fault for the first goal, it’s not good enough from me, the man got across me.

“As a team we’ve got to be better. If we go 1-0 down we’ve still got to be strong and get back in the game and at the minute we’re not.”

Keeper Mark Tyler made two rare mistakes for the second and third goals as he fumbled Alex Rodman’s shot allowing Oliver McBurnie to score, before his clearance was straight at Scott Boden who squared for McBurnie’s treble.

Wilkinson said: “The second one is a bit harsh, it skipped up at him and was hard to handle.